A Dark Bond - A Reylo Story
by Stellephante
Summary: Rey, a quiet yet brilliant pupil at the Jedi temple, has always been wary of Master Kylo Ren. A converted Sith, the Jedi council have allowed him to redeem his past treachery through the teaching of young students. Yet when the whole Jedi order turn against Rey for a crime she did not commit, she finds in Kylo Ren an unsolicited ally brought about by a curious Force bond...
1. Chapter I

**_Welcome to my story! I am here after watching The Last Skywalker and wishing to explore the extent of Kylo Ren and Rey's Force bond. There is an overlap of Star Wars stories as some characters that shouldn't be alive are all co-existing together and the Jedi Temple is still standing. Ahhh the power of fiction! Please enjoy and don't be shy to let me know your thoughts in the comments!_  
**

**_Disclaimer: All characters, references to worlds and other specifics belong to the Disney Star Wars franchise and Lucas Films. The story is entirely my own._**

* * *

**Chapter I**

"What is this… this slop?" Jana asked her friends with a smirk, sifting through the grey gruel they were being fed that breakfast at the Temple.

Rey smiled quietly to herself, shyly glancing at her classmate, Jana, who was sitting at the table opposite.

Rey did not mind the protein porridge they served in the Temple's dining hall - her tastes were rather simple, whereas she had heard that Jana came from the Tethlo system, known for its foreign fruits and exotic spices.

"Now now, Janny, don't play with your food," cajoled Mirrika, all poise and grace in her demeanour as she chided her friend. She absentmindedly shook some of her blonde waves out of her face. Mirrika was very elegant looking - and she knew it too.

Every morning transpired in a similar manner: Rey rose before the suns, meditated in the room with a thousand fountains, then sat alone at breakfast and kept relatively to herself.

Despite popular belief, this was not by choice.

Rey had come to the Temple at age six. Some had deemed her too old to commence training, for she remembered being torn from her parents and was a shy girl with constant tear stains for months after her arrival. Yet, her aptitude and affiliation with the Force was impossible to ignore, and thus the Jedi Council had deemed it irresponsible not to train her.

Slowly over time, Rey began to build a home for herself at the Temple. As she began to accept her new life's path, she began applying herself and explored her free flowing connection to the Force. She advanced very quickly and was soon top of her classes and this, sadly, did not win her many friends who could not relate to this shy, awkward girl, who somehow always bested them at tests and in training.

Rey dreamed of the day she would be able to leave the temple on missions and explore the galaxy. She had been nowhere, and seen close to nothing saving for her home planet Jakku, and small areas of Coruscant: either all sand or all city.

One of Rey's favourite places in the whole Temple was the meditation room with a thousand fountains. The sound of running water and the many species of plants that grew there transported her to the fantasy of being engulfed in green forests and flowing rivers - the likes of which she had never seen.

Yet despite such a tranquil refuge, her loneliness was hard to ignore. When it seized her with full-force, her only comfort was the conviction that if she worked hard, she could get out of the temple as an apprentice and forge a companionship with one of the Jedi masters.

That was all she wanted.

"Young padawans," Rey's daydreams were interrupted by Master Mace Windu as he entered the dining hall the way he only ever did when there was an important message to relay about the day's lessons.

Rey sat up, alert and ready.

"Today we will be placing you all through a series of tests: we are hoping to find among you, several new apprentices to join some of our esteemed Masters on an important upcoming mission."

An eruption of various sounds bubbled about the room. This was a complete surprise to everyone as Padawan testing normally took place at the end of the fourth moon's rotation.

_There must be an urgent need,_ Rey thought to herself.

"Oh my gosh! I'm scared, Mirri!" Janna joked, sarcastically in a whisper that Rey could hear.

"Whoever my master is, I hope they are at least easy on the eyes," Mirrika joked back. Both girls chuckled.

"Please be on the racing track in thirty minutes and be prepared to show all that you have learned thus far in your training," Mace Windu announced.

"May the Force be with you," he bowed and left.

Rey couldn't breathe. Could the day she had agonisingly been inching toward be here so soon? Could she be leaving to see the galaxy by the end of the month?

Rey looked down at her hands and smiled to herself, her body full of electricity. Without a second's hesitation, she picked up her tray and left the cafeteria.

This was her time.

* * *

Master Adi Gallia stood on a podium beneath the morning sun and raised her hands for silence.

"Students, the trial is simple: each student must complete twenty-five laps of the entire track before approaching the obstacle course. When you finish, you must grab a blast shield helmet and fight the simulator. Only then is the trial deemed completed."

Rey kept her face neutral, yet she could feel the shock and surprise from her fellow classmates: this was going to be the hardest course ever.

Just then, she felt a disturbance in the Force: a small darkness pulling at her focus. Rey followed the disturbance to the doorway where more Jedi masters were coming out to witness the trials. Rey recognised the source of the feeling before her eyes recognised its physical form: Master Kylo Ren.

The young Master had been teaching at the temple for a little over a year. From the moment he first set foot in the temple, Rey had felt a severe uneasiness whenever she was around him.

Across the grounds, their eyes locked for a fraction of a second. She inhaled sharply and snapped her focus ahead.

"Please take your places at the start line!" Master Adi Gallia called.

Rey took her place, purposefully heading toward the back of the pack.

She had to focus - everything depended on this moment.

_If I'm successful and become a master's apprentice,_ she thought, _it will get me away from HIM!_

Rey gritted her teeth and stretched out her calves and arms impatiently as she waited for the signal to go.

It was time to run toward her destiny.

* * *

The second the siren blared, all the students scrambled to run. Rey knew that twenty-five laps was meant not as a test of speed, but agility. Her focus was not on finishing the laps first, but on having enough strength and stamina to complete the obstacle course at the end.

She inhaled deeply and exhaled, almost smiling. She would enjoy these laps. She would forget that there was a test and pretend she were running barefoot in a forest, with dewy grass between her toes.

Falling to last place on the track, Rey took her time. She was overlapped by some of the faster students, yet she paid them no mind. On her fifth lap, she began overtaking some of the slower runners who were red-faced and panting. Rey, though slightly flushed, remained in her comfortable gait. She was a good runner and knew to ignore the ache in her legs and remain in her rhythm. By her eighteenth lap, three students had finished and were running very tiredly to the start of the obstacle course. They scrambled to climb the wall and one boy slipped and yelped in pain as he landed on his ankle wrong. He was escorted from the pitch.

Surged on by their closeness to finishing line, Rey started to increase her gait just slightly and finished not far behind a red-headed girl.

Rey watched as the girl gracefully bounded toward the beginning of the obstacle course: a high wall with a variety of grooves to help climb. The girl was lithe and agile, but no climber. Rey watched as she jogged over to see her hang off two groove-holds, unable to pull herself up.

Rey took a moment to inhale before climbing up the wall next to her. She relished the feeling of her muscles working as they were built to do and hoisted herself up onto the landing. With each burn, she surrendered to the Force, allowing it to flow through her and achieve her goal. Though the wall was high, she made it. She looked back to see the girl had managed to climb up a few more foot-holds.

Rey silently wished the girl luck.

Now, it was time to catch those boys.

They were near the end of the course. Rey felt warm and energised from her run and her climb and attacked each challenge with strength and control.

She had to jump across a ladder the six feet up that she had climbed. Despite her legs being slightly fatigued, she did so with ease.

She had to jump down onto a slippery, muddy surface and avoid incoming moving platforms at different heights. Calling on the force, she jumped down in one swift movement, landing in a crouch. She instantly sprung up half a foot into the air and landed on one of the moving platforms, jumping to grab another as it came toward her and hoisted herself up with a small grunt. Up and up, she dodged and weaved and climbed to the top. It was physically exhausting work, yet Rey remained completely in the moment, tackling each landing afresh.

Panting, she saw the final challenge: a thin plank of wood above a myriad of spikes protruding from the ground. One of the boys was sweating as he looked at the spikes with fear. He was stuck in the exact middle, petrified. The plank of wood was shiny and looked slippery as well as wobbly. The other boy had seemed to best this challenge as he had reached the end and was fixing his blast shield, preparing to enter the training simulation with his lightsaber.

"Hey," Rey called out to the boy on the plank, "it's okay! Just focus on where you need to go and don't look down!"

"What?" the boy called out to her, looking over his shoulder and wobbling uncontrollably. He fell forward onto his knees and clasped at the plank of wood on all fours for dear life.

"Take a breath! Feel the Force!" Rey cried.

"It's so high!" he yelled back.

"You can do it!" Rey encouraged.

"No I ca-AAAHH!"

Losing his balance, the boy fell. Rey watched on in horror. As soon as his body impacted the spikes, he froze millimeters above: Mace Windu had appeared out of nowhere, and lowered the boy to safety with the Force.

Rey let go of the breath she had been holding.

_Nearly there._

Rey cleared her mind and viewed the shaky thin plank of wood before her. Was there even a point in inching across? What if she was in pursuit of a villain? Would any of the Masters waste their time walking on an unstable surface?

Summoning the Force, Rey jumped and only touched down for a second in the middle of the plank before launching herself to the other side.

Maybe it was cheating, but she had bought herself more time.

With a slight panic, Rey saw the final boy was over half way through the training simulation. She wasted no time donning her helmet and entered, allowing the blindness and the stillness to consume her.

She took a few deep breaths and blocked out all the background noise of the others completing the course, of the boy next to her, of everything. She waited for the slightest waver of the force, the slightest penetration in the stillness.

She felt the smallest breath head in her direction and raised her lightsaber in defence, blocking the first blast.

She then heard a wooshing sound and rolled to the side, coming up into a defensive pose and standing to attack. Two more pings as she deflected blasts, one near her shoulder and one near her crouched waist.

"Ow!" she heard to her left, as her competitor got stung by a blast from the training simulator he was meant to block.

Rey forced herself to refocus and blocked him out. She let go of her surroundings and tapped into the Force once more, waiting for its subtle whispers of guidance.

Out of the stillness, the whispers became a wave, then rolling thunder. Rey furrowed her brow beneath her helmet: something was wrong. A cold sweat broke out as Rey felt like she was in the presence of danger. The Force was telling her to run!  
She blocked another ping to her left, two to her midriff and then flipped and striked down, hearing a sizzle and a pang on the pavement.

Panting, she then twirled her lightsaber above her head and thrust it to her right side, unconsciously following her instincts to deliver a fatal blow - except her lightsaber stopped true of its target! Something was stopping her lightsaber!

Panicking, Rey lifted off her helmet to meet the cold black eyes of none other than Master Kylo Ren.

Rey led out an inaudible cry as she noticed she had made a move to stab him right through the chest. She would have succeeded too, had he not held her in place with the Force.

Rey looked at him briefly in panic. He held her gaze, completely expressionless, as usual, his dark eyes reflecting the golden glow of Rey's lightsaber.

"Enough!" called Adi Gallia, coming across the pitch. Master Kylo Ren summoned Rey's lightsaber to his hand and shut it off in one swift motion.

Only then did Rey notice the training simulator lying on the ground, split into two pieces.

Panting, she forced herself to look back at Master Kylo Ren, who had not stopped looking at her.

"Kylo!" Adi Gallia, called to him.

Master Kylo Ren thrust Rey's lightsaber into her hands and swiftly turned and left the pitch. As he did so, their fingers brushed slightly and Rey had a flash, just a flash of an image. It was too fast for her to hold on to and as soon as it had come, it disappeared.

Rey looked at Master Adi Gallia who gave her a small smile.

"Well done, Rey. You may go rest." 

* * *

Rey wasn't sure whether to be relieved or fearful. She had finished first or close to first. She had finished each task, but she had attacked a Master. Would they believe her if she said it was a misunderstanding?

Rey had always kept her mistrust of the young Master and the darkness within the Force that he emanated to herself, but what would he do to her now if he knew? Had she made it obvious now that she had tried to cause him harm? He was the source of the darkness she felt in the Force, of that she had no doubt. Rey was convinced it stemmed from his history as a member of the Sith.  
Could he really have turned his back on them? Can people truly change? Rey believed he could not. She believed she was the only one who could feel it, too, these waves of darkness emanating from him whenever he was near. Surely if the Jedi Council had felt it, they wouldn't have let him near the youngest minds within their order, and so Rey had kept silent.

Perhaps the Force was warning her and her alone that she might have to one day do something about it. She shuddered to think what that might entail. She had never killed anybody and wasn't sure how she felt about taking someone's life. She rationalised if anyone meant her harm, the Force would tell her what to do.

So Rey did as she always did, she suppressed the feeling, left the warning unheeded and kept her head down.

_Was trying to stab him really keeping your head down?_ Rey thought to herself, bitterly.

Rey trudged across the pitch and took herself off to the showers. As she rinsed of the sweat and dried dirt from the morning's exertions, she wondered why the young Master had interrupted her training simulation. Every instinct had told her to kill him. Why? He would have been able to watch from the podium with the other Masters. She wished he hadn't been there. She wished she had not moved to kill him. She worried it would ruin her chances at becoming an Apprentice, at getting out of the Temple, of finally getting to see the Galaxy.

Though she had no answers at present, she knew she must trust the Force.


	2. Chapter II

_**WELCOME BACK! Next chapter coming at you 3...2...1...!**_

_**Disclaimer: All characters and references to the Star Wars world belong to the Disney Star Wars franchise and Lucasfilms. The story is entirely my own.**_

* * *

**Chapter II**

It had been two days since the tests. Two agonising days. It was bad enough that Rey was in an agitated state wondering how she had performed, but to make matters worse, her classmates were not all that impressed with her.

It seemed the boy she had been fighting for first place with, Treeton - a favourite amongst his peers, had been hit by two of the blasters from the simulator. Although he had technically finished his simulation slightly before Rey, she had finished completely unharmed and with her 'enemy' in a junkpile and had been awarded the accolade of coming 'first'.

Her being claimed the winner was an unpopular decision, and the other Padawans weren't shy about letting her know it, out of support for their favourite.

"Thanks for nothing, _Rey_," the boy from the tightrope had sneered at her when the results had been made public. All the students had gathered in the corridor as the results of finishing order had been made public via hologram.

"Wh-what?" Rey looked surprised, only too keenly aware that a few of her classmates eyes were on her.

"Thanks for distracting me and making me fall. Yeah, you deserve first place alright. So _noble_, aren't you?" His ring of horns on his head made him look even more menacing.

Rey was taken aback by such malice. She had only tried to help this Zabrak succeed when he had been paralysed with fear.

"Don't bother, Sahnnel," it was the girl Janna, who interceded. "Apparently she was too good to walk over it herself. She jumped it. Didn't you!" Janna jeered in Rey's direction.

"Coward," she said to Rey, her face contorted with disgust. "Come on," Janna put a friendly arm around Sahnnel and made to move him away. "Cheat!" she hissed back to Rey over her shoulder on their way.

Everyone had given Rey a wide berth, adopting the collective decision that she was a coward, a cheat and undeserving of her win.

"None of it matters," Rey told herself early one morning, attempting to meditate in the room with a dozen fountains, "if I'm as undeserving as they say, I will not gain a master and all will go back to how it was before. And even if the Council pick me and everyone else hates me forever, I will not have to see them anymore,"

* * *

Later that afternoon, Rey was trying her best to focus on the lesson. It was the last for the day and everyone was slightly restless. Master Depa Billaba was listing off the planets in the Outer Rim territories and highlighting which ones were under the control of the Republic and which were not.

It was very heavy on names and dates and Rey felt her brain straining to absorb and retain such information.

Rey poured over her notes before the same invasive waves flowed through the Force. She snapped her head up to the door and saw Master Kylo Ren standing there.

"Yes, Master Kylo?" Master Depa Billaba enquired.

"Forgive the intrusion, Master," Master Kylo Ren spoke in an expressionless low voice, "the following students are required by the Jedi Council,"

This announcement was met with excited murmurs within the classroom.

He referred to a data pad.

"Treeton,"

Some of the pupils 'ooooh'ed as Treeton got up, who grinned, running a hand through his silver curls and gestured to his friends to keep quiet.

"Ynghia," the red-haired Vahla girl Rey had seen struggle to climb the wall must have eventually mastered the strength. The small girl rose and walked over to the door.

The rest of the class waited, expectantly.

Rey felt a tingle in the back of her neck and her throat ran dry.

She looked at Master Kylo who was looking at her.

"Rey," he said her name in a low voice. Rey got up and followed the others outside.

"Come with me," Master Kylo stated, leading them to the high council. 

* * *

Rey could not remember the last time she had visited the Jedi high council, but she was more excited than nervous. This must mean she made it, right? She was going to meet her new Master?

There was a group of students milling around the door to the Jedi Council, Sahnnel was among them. He scowled and turned away as he noticed Rey approaching.

"Is that all of them?" Adi Gallia asked.

"Yes," Master Kylo announced.

"Padawans," Adi Gallia addressed them all, "you will be summoned in one by one for your final assessment. May the Force guide you in this final task,"

With that, she and Master Kylo entered to take their place in the council room.

A hologram near the door flashed the names of students to enter. Rey quickly counted twenty pupils including herself, and deduced they were being called in order of who came twentieth to who came first.

So it didn't matter that she had come first: if she had made it within the top twenty, she would still be considered for final testing.

Rey found a quiet corner and sat cross-legged with her eyes closed, taking deep breaths to calm herself and prepare. She slipped into a deep meditation, aware that it would be a while before she were called in to speak to the Council.

Hours later, Rey snapped out of her meditation as she felt someone gruffly knock her as they walked past and she opened her eyes to see that only three other Padawans remained.

"Watch it, cheat," hissed Sahnnel, as he walked past.

His name was flashing near the door which he opened and entered, a scowl still on his face. It seemed the Vahla girl Ynghia had been deemed third as she must have finished the course even though Sahnnel had not.

Rey caught her gaze and gave an encouraging smile. Ynghia lifted the corner of her mouth. Rey sensed slight fear emanating from her. _She's nervous, _Rey deduced.

"Hey," Rey heard a whisper and turned to see Treeton, coming to sit on one of the benches, leaning over his knees, smiling at her.

"Hey," Rey said and turned away, feeling awkward.

"Look, there's no hard feelings, you know," the boy, Treeton said.

Rey looked at him.

"What the others are saying?" he elaborated, "I don't think you're a cheat. You beat me fair and square."

Rey said nothing, stunned in silence.

"Second is still pretty great," Treeton continued, not the least bit phased at Rey's stunned silence, "though generous considering I would have gotten shot - twice - had this been a real-life situation," he chuckled slightly.

"So, how did you do it?" he asked.

Rey looked at him again. She started to relax once she realised that Treeton was not joking around with her. It was nice for someone to acknowledge that she was not a cheater.

"I don't know. I cleared my mind, I summoned the Force."

Treeton snorted.

"Wow. You sound like one of them," he chuckled good-naturedly, nodding toward the council chamber. "You'll definitely come out of this a winner."

"I hope so," Rey said quietly.

Ynghia's name flashed on the screen. She got up and walked to the door, clenching and unclenching her fists as she went.

Treeton leaned back with a sigh, silver curls blending in to the grey walls behind him.

"I don't know about you, but I am so ready to leave this temple," he stated, staring up at the ceiling.

Rey began to understand why so many people liked Treeton: His knack for making people feel at ease, his self confidence without being arrogant, it was endearing. Rey had felt better about herself within minutes of his company.

Rey struggled to hold conversations with people under pressure. She was partly guilty of being out of practise, but was also convinced that nobody would want to hear what she had to say anyway.

"I've never stepped on real grass," Rey found herself saying, quietly.

"What?! You're kidding!" Treeton cried in disbelief. "My home planet, Naboo, is nothing but trees and waterfalls and rainforests,"

"It sounds beautiful," Rey stated, her former angst over wanting to see the galaxy returning to seize her guts once more.

"I don't really remember much," Treeton went on, "but the feeling of grass, yeah I remember that. Luckily, the fake grass they have at the Citadel's gardens is pretty spot on, I must say,"

Coruscant was a city planet and all wildlife was artificially manufactured. The Citadel gardens were all unnaturally made, but was one of the most tranquil places on the planet - or so Rey had read. She had only ever seen images but had never been as sadly, it was only open to the elite. It was rare to meet someone who had been in the Citadel gardens.

"How did you get to go to the gardens?" Rey asked.

"Ha! You're joking right?" Treeton laughed again. "Don't you know what the gardens are?"

Rey shook her head.

Suddenly, Treeton's name came up in the lights near the door and he looked back to Rey.

"Duty calls!" he jumped up and made his way to the door.

"Hey," he called back to Rey. She looked at him. "Best of luck in there, cheat," he winked and grinned as he entered the council.

Rey smiled to herself. He was joking, of course. Rey found herself letting go of the negative emotions she felt at being referred to as a cheat. In two seconds, Treeton had killed the power over her the insult had had.

For the first time in a long time, Rey felt a little less lonely.

* * *

Treeton's testing had been going on a long time. Almost an hour later, Rey felt her stomach grumble. Dinner was being served at that moment. Rey wondered what news she would be able to take with her to dinner - if she were able to get there at all. Would it be good or bad?

Rey sensed her name come up on the hologram before she saw it.

She rose and strode over to the council doors to meet her fate.

Rey stood in front of the Jedi High Council, as well as Masters Adi Gallia and Kylo Ren. Rey knew Master Adi Gallia was looking for a new apprentice since her own apprentice, Siri, had gone on to be a master herself. Rey considered Adi Gallia a formidable fighter and strong leader. She secretly hoped she would get to be her Apprentice.

"Be not afraid, Rey," Master Yoda said from his seat as head of the Jedi Council.

"I am not afraid," Rey said, quietly.

"Afraid, you are," insisted the wise master, "afraid of losing. Afraid of being left behind. Afraid of loss."

Rey said nothing.

"Her thoughts yearn to be an apprentice," Master Ki-Adi-Mundi stated, turning his cone head to Master Yoda.

"That has not yet been decided," Mace Windu replied.

"Troubles, you are having," Yoda continued, "Trouble sleeping. Trouble with being. Troubles… within the Force."

A few of the other masters expressed their surprise.

"Your troubles, we wish to hear about," Yoda pressed.

Rey panicked. She felt the presence of Master Kylo Ren only too keenly, like an icicle poking her left side where he sat. She took pains to quickly pass her consciousness to each council member so none could pick up on where her thoughts dwelled. The pulling, feeling of darkness didn't seem to be there at present and she relaxed a little.

She had no intention of sharing with the Council the effect Kylo Ren had on her.

"I am anxious to see the galaxy and to do good when and where I can," Rey stated.

"What troubles within the Force do you feel?" Master Adi Gallia gently reiterated.

Rey paused. Did they already know?

"Please, tell us," Master Ki-Adi-Mundi encouraged.

Rey inhaled sharply.

"Let go of your fear," Master Mace Windu encouraged.

Rey reminded herself she was being tested. She had to tread carefully.

"I feel…" Rey started, "a pull within the Force."

"A pull?" Master Mace Windu repeated.

"Yes," Rey hesitated, glancing between him and Master Yoda. She might as well say it, Rey thought to herself, or they would pick it up on her themselves. She had to ignore her fear.

"A pull into darkness,"

There were murmurs throughout the council.

"This does not bode well," Master Even Piell spoke for the first time, his one good eye widened slightly.

"Is there a voice within the darkness?" Master Adi Gallia asked.

"No," Rey stated, "only an urge to run from it."

"Run from yourself, you cannot," was Master Yoda's reply

"Master Kylo Ren," Yoda addressed, "much appreciated is your input in this," 

Rey braced herself and looked over to the young Master seated on her left. Dressed all in black, his collar was high and stiff and he held himself with a blank expression.

"I have nothing to add," he responded, avoiding Rey's eye.

"Is not the urge to run from a darkness within the Force a form of fear that can overcome and eventually consume a young jedi?" Master Even Piell spoke.

"What are you implying?" Master Kylo Ren asked calmly, yet Rey detected a slight edge in his voice.

"Well," Master Even Piell twisted his face into a grimace, "is that how it happened for you?"

Kylo Ren's nostrils flared slightly but he stayed perfectly still.

"No, it did not," Master Kylo stated, tightening his jaw slightly. He then looked at Rey. He studied her, searching her face for something.

It made her uncomfortable, so Rey looked away.

Mace Windu rubbed his chin, observing the scene before him. All the council members did.

"She did win the trials," Ki-Adi-Mundi stated to his colleagues.

"She did," Mace Windu mumbled thoughtfully.

"Her testing scores are excellent," Master Kylo Ren spoke in a low voice. Rey shot around to look at him, surprised. Why was he helping her?

"Above average, actually," Kylo finished, glancing at Rey for only a moment.

"So she has the physical aptitude and the intellectual capability," Adi Gallia surmised.

"Believe, or believe not, that ready are you, to serve the galaxy?" Yoda enquired.

"With your patience and guidance, I believe I can be an asset to my future Master, and I believe the galaxy will teach me more than I can learn at the Temple."

"So sure, you are?" Yoda asked.

Rey stayed silent.

"Selfish reasons you are having in wanting to leave the Temple," he continued. "The same as serving, it is not. Possessing patience, you do not."

"Forgive me," Rey found herself saying, "how is it selfish to want to serve?"

"In serving your own interests in seeing the galaxy, it may blind-sight you to your role in securing the balance of the Force," Mace Windu agreed with Yoda.

Rey felt a knot in her gut. She did not like what the Jedi Masters were implying. Had she not proved herself a worthy candidate for apprenticeship?

"Something that may come to pass is not a definite," Rey stated, hoping she didn't sound as defensive as she felt.

"More wisdom than you realise, does that sentence hold," Yoda replied.

The room descended into another silence.

"We will discuss further and let you know," Mace Windu concluded. "Thank you for your time, Rey, and may the Force be with you."

_That's it?_ Rey thought as she bowed. She turned and left as quickly as she respectfully could.

Out on the other side of the Council chamber, the corridors were empty: the other candidates had most likely gone to get some dinner. Rey's guts were churning with anxiety and she found that she was not hungry.

Things were not looking good.

Her test had only lasted five minutes.


	3. Chapter III

**_Disclaimer: All references to the Star Wars franchise belong to Disney and Lucasfilms. The story is entirely my own. Enjoy!_**

* * *

**Chapter III**

The sun was going down and there was an orange haze that fell on the training pitch. Rey half-walked, half-ran outside to it, ignoring the light rain that was beginning to fall.

She was struggling to control her emotions. She felt betrayed, angry and frustrated. She had been patient. She had studied hard. She was top of her class and in top physical condition, yet it wasn't enough. Was she not supposed to want to see the galaxy? Since when was that a crime?

_Since I admitted to feeling a pull from a darkness within the Force,_ Rey thought with dismay.

Why had they asked Master Kylo Ren to weight in on her dark feelings within the Force? Was Master Even Piell insinuating that she was being tempted by the dark side?

"It's _his_ fault!" Rey hissed out loud, as she gave in and let the angry tears fall, "Kylo _blasted_ Ren!"

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Jedi council chamber, Kylo Ren was itching in his seat. He was utilising the deepest recesses of his newfound willpower to not react toward Even Piell's thinly-veiled insulting insinuations.

Even Piell was not the only one: the digs and slurs within the council over Kylo Ren's history with the Sith were definitely a regular occurrence. Kylo Ren felt he may have earned the trust of some of the council members, but he doubted whether he had any of their respect.

He accepted it all, telling himself it was all an intrinsic ingredient on his journey to redemption. It was certainly difficult at times to maintain control. He could not help but feel like no one would ever believe he was no longer tempted by the darkness, yet with a stubbornness and thirst to prove himself, he refused to let his demeanour show signs of his discomfort. He would not give in, and not give any of them the satisfaction of being justified in their lack of respect of him.

And now, they were afraid that Rey was a similar case, not to be trusted before she could prove herself. Kylo Ren remembered going through a similar experience back when he was a Padawan and the path his anger and frustration had led him toward...

Kylo Ren reached out to Rey with the Force. He did not mean to do it, yet it happened. She was hurting. Her frustration and grief reached him and engulfed him as if the feelings were his own. Her hurt disturbed him.

He did not agree with how this interview had gone.

When he had first started teaching at the Temple, Rey had been another face in a sea of students. She was easy to overlook as she kept to herself, she did her assignments, she spoke up very little in his classes. There was nothing to make her stand out.  
Yet after time, Kylo Ren picked up on a slight pull toward her. It was like the Force had shined a light on her in a different coloured lens. He began to be acutely aware of her: how polite she was to everyone. How she always sat alone. How remarkable her fighting form was. He felt her presence clearer than anyone's before she entered a room.

And then the dreams began.

Whether they were dreams or visions, he saw images in his mind of himself and Rey, side-by-side, exploring the far corners of the galaxy. The message within the image was always the same: Rey would be responsible for tearing apart the council, yet she would also be the key to rebuilding it stronger than before.

More disturbingly, the Force also had another warning for Kylo Ren: Rey was going to save his life.

These visions plagued him at least twice a week. He tried to outrun the dreams, ignored them, ignored the Force waves that emanated off her as she sat in his class. How could this lonely little girl come to save his life?

Had he not already been saved? Was he not back on the path of light?

"_I feel…a pull within the Force...A pull into the darkness,"_

Her words had struck him like blast-fire to the heart. The truth was, like her, he had sensed a pull from the darkness himself that he had a similar urge to flee from, yet it did not come from his past when he was a servant of the Sith.

No.

He felt the pull into the darkness when the Force first shined a light on Rey.

* * *

Rey wiped her eyes and stood before the obstacle course she had completed just days before. She stood before the climbing wall and sniffed.

_Adi Gallia would not sit here, crying like a child,_ Rey chided herself.

Then, very slowly, she began to climb. Her arms hurt but she carried on. She didn't give in to her weakness two days ago when she climbed, and she wouldn't now. At length, she reached the summit and sat, catching her breath.

She hugged her knees as she stared at the suns setting. It was a beautiful sight, yet one Rey could take no pleasure in - for she did not know when she would be able to fly beyond the suns and out through the stars.

"I must remain strong," Rey told herself, hugging her knees tighter, hearing her own words echoing, yet feeling a sense of helplessness.

"No more tears,"

* * *

"I say no to her promotion," Master Even Piell stated to the rest of the Council.

"I say yes," Kylo Ren challenged.

"Of course you would," came the reply from the long-eared Master, regarding him with his one good eye.

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"Only an agent of the Sith would be undeterred by a call of darkness within the Force,"

Kylo slammed a hand on his chair and gritted his teeth and the two Jedi Masters glared at each other

"And there it is!" Kylo Ren hissed.

"Helping, this talk is not!" Master Yoda stated loudly. "Capable as an apprentice, young Rey will most certainly be,"

"Wouldn't it be better to keep her here where we can monitor her and help her study this call from the darkness?" Mace Windu enquired.

"Why would you want to study it?" Master Even Piell asked. "Stamp it out of her! Help her get rid of it! Otherwise get rid of her. There is no room for darkness within the Temple."

"I could help her," Kylo Ren said, "I could teach her what I know about the darkness and how to avoid it,"

"The way you did?" Master Even Piell mocked. "That has to be the worst suggestion I've heard all day,"

"Certain it is the Sith, we are not," Yoda interjected. "Help her, we will, yet not you alone, Kylo Ren,"

Kylo Ren swallowed his retort. He felt it in the Force, had _seen_, that he would be the one to help her quell the darkness. He knew their paths were destined to cross, but surely not just as classroom teacher and student? Why not as Master and Apprentice? It made more sense. Why would they deny the inevitable?  
Perhaps the visions were wrong and it was not a matter of her saving him, but of him saving her?

"I worry she will be difficult to work with on missions," Adi Gallia stated, "She can follow orders well enough, but can she follow her own initiative? Be resourceful?"

"How will you find out if you keep her locked in the Temple?" Kylo Ren asked with thinly veiled sarcasm.

Adi Gallia raised an eyebrow at him.

"You were there. She didn't even finish the course properly. She jumped over the thin tight rope."

"Would you not have done the same if there was an enemy in pursuit of you? Furthermore, would you not consider that following initiative and being resourceful?" Kylo Ren raised his eyebrow at her.

Adi Gallia turned away from him, displeasure evident from a small crease near her mouth.

"This mission will be dangerous, and it is vastly important," Mace Windu continued.

"Needless to say, we have already lost four teams to the conflict on Yavin. We do not want to send anyone onward until they are truly ready. We have lost the lives of too many a young Jedi already."

"How many Masters made it back?" Adi Gallia asked.

"Out of the twelve we initially sent, only five," Mace Windu stated as he leaned forward, solemn and serious.

"How many of their apprentices?" Adi Gallia asked.

Mace Windu stared at her.

"One."

* * *

Some time later, Rey stood up atop of the obstacle course with newfound resolve. She had done all she could do and now her fate was out of her hands. That was it.

She gingerly found her way over to the last section of the obstacle course: the unstable thin plank of wood.

She gingerly stepped on to it, holding her breath. She crept along, slowly, slowly, careful not to sway back and forth.

A small gust of wind blew and she lowered her centre of gravity, calling on the Force to keep her steady.

The Force held her in place, but then she felt it: the dark ripple, the glitch in the Force wave. She froze. Another gust of wind came and Rey tried to shimmy to the other side before she lost her balance and fell!

Rey closed her eyes instinctively waiting for impact and pain to follow…

Only it never came. She opened her eyes one at a time and noticed she was floating just above the ground. She turned her head to see Master Kylo Ren with his hand out, holding her in place with the Force - an expression of indifference on his face.

He then broke his Force and she dropped unceremoniously, yet safely, to the ground.

Rey panted, letting her heartbeat slow down from the adrenaline of the near-painful fall.

"Get up," Master Kylo Ren ordered.

Rey pulled herself up.

"Whatever happens, don't throw your life away," Kylo Ren said to her in a low voice.

Rey stared at him, confusion on her face.

She should tell him that's not what she was doing. She should thank him for saving her, and apologise for nearly killing him at the day of the trials. Instead, she could not quell the feeling, the unsettling ripple in the pit of her gut and the back of her mind: the warning from the Force.

"Stay away from me," she breathed, and jogged back to the Temple.

* * *

"You wish to train her?" Mace Windu repeated. He was sitting behind his desk in his office the day following the interviews with the Apprentice candidates.

"Yes, I wish to make her my apprentice," Kylo Ren announced. "She is strong with the Force, more than she knows. I could help her."

"Why this particular interest in her?" Mace Windu, Kylo Ren knew, only begrudgingly welcomed him back to the Temple after Kylo Ren had saved his life in the final battle against the Sith. Despite that little fact, Kylo Ren suspected that it was more Yoda's vote of confidence more than his act of heroics that allowed Mace Windu to accept him. Yet Kylo Ren knew he did not have the Master's respect.

"I see great potential,"

"So do we all. Yet potential misplaced could be fatal," Mace Windu gave Kylo Ren a knowing look.

Kylo Ren gritted his teeth into a smile.

"She would be wasted on a Master who took no interest in her development and no understanding of what she's going through. I am the one to show her and guide her where others cannot."

"So sure of this, are you?'

"I have seen it, in the Force."

Mace Windu sighed.

"Whether or not that is true, Master Aeon Vyx has selected her as his apprentice."

Kylo Ren felt a disturbance at the mention of this Master's name.

"He survived the attack on Yavin?" Kylo Ren inquired.

"Just barely. He and the other four Masters all returned this morning and all took our recommendations for their apprentices."

"What makes him fit to train her?" Kylo Ren asked.

"He was the only one who wanted her."

Kylo Ren closed his mouth and nodded.

"If what you say is true and you really are the one to show her the intricate ways of the Force," Mace Windu stated, "then the Force will bring the two of you together one way or another, but not today."

Kylo Ren let that sink in. He ground his teeth.

"Mark my words, Master," Kylo Ren stated in thinly veiled composure, "THis decision goes against the will of the Force. She will be wasted under the watch of the likes of Aeon Vyx. In fact," Kylo Ren stepped forward and put both of her hands on the desk to stare fully into Mace Windu's face, "this decision will be your greatest regret."

Without another word, Kylo Ren turned exited the office leaving Mace Windu slowly shaking his head.


	4. Chapter IV

**It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new chapter...**

**Disclaimer: All references of any kind to the Star Wars franchise belongs to Disney and Lucas films. The story is entirely my own.**

* * *

**Chapter IV**

_The sound of flowing water. The rustle of leaves. Low breathing. The feeling of cotton lightly touching her shins. The compression of leather straps around her wrists. _

_Rey embraced what was close to her and felt its place within the Force._

_The vibrations, of every movement within the Temple. The invisible pathways of destiny, stretching out beyond every living thing._

_Rey looked inside herself, to feel her own path, to find out which way it led. It took her across rivers, over volcanoes, through dusty cities to a path made by stars and planets. She inched down the pathway in her mind's eye. The pathway was narrow - not unlike the plank she had jumped over in the obstacle course during the trials._

_She then felt a presence: it was a calming presence, a light shining from her left, entering essence an filling her with its light and pure warmth. She turned and saw it came from a reflection of herself and smiled. Her reflection smiled back. _

_Suddenly the reflection began to change and smiling at her with a smile that touched her to the very core was..._

_Master Kylo Ren?!_

Rey snapped her eyes open and found herself cross legged by a pond in the room of a thousand fountains. She had not slept all night and had the idea to get up early and meditate. Her intention had been to search the Force for hints into the outcome of the trials, and more importantly, where her future would take her.

_This_ is what the Force wanted her to know?

Seeing Kylo Ren in her future was a fact that was less surprising, considering the darkness she often felt coming from him and that she seemed to be the only one who felt it. Yet to see him standing by her side, as if they were one, and to feel _happy_ about it? Two things the Dark Master had never instilled in her were calmness and gratitude.

Yet, she knew what she had felt: the vision had been clear and solid. What did it all mean?

Suddenly, Rey felt another presence enter the room. She turned and saw Master Adi Gallia coming toward her. She hurriedly stood and bowed to the Jedi Master.

"You're up early, Rey," Master Adi Gallia greeted, unsmiling. Her manner was polite but held no warmth, as was Master Adi Gallia's way.

"Good morning, Master," Rey replied, courteously.

"I apologise for interrupting your meditations, but I've come to summon you to the Jedi Council once more. Please come as soon as you are ready."

The two Jedi's bowed to each other and Master Adi Gallia turned to leave.

_This is it,_ Rey told herself.

* * *

"You four performed remarkably in the trials," Master Mace Windu announced, "Congratulations Treeton, Ynghia, Mot Grys and Rey," the Master announced them all individually.

The Jedi Council room was empty, save for the four new apprentices and the Master himself.

_Looks like Sahnnel didn't make it through,_ Rey thought to herself. Rey reminded herself she was even more fortunate to be leaving the Temple, for she was sure his wrath would have been something fearsome for days, weeks, maybe even months to come.

Rey hazarded a guess that that was precisely why Sahnnel had not been deemed ready: his anger had been palpable as he had entered the Jedi Council's chamber the day before and it had no doubt gotten the best of him.

"We will now introduce you to your new Masters," Mace Windu declared, and Rey snapped back to the present, quashing all thoughts of Sahnnel and his ill feelings toward her.

"Finally!" Treeton muttered to his companions, sounding as excited as Rey felt.

Master Adi Gallia entered the Jedi Council room, followed by four figures in Jedi robes: their new Jedi Masters.

Two female Masters stood on Mace Windu's right, and two male Masters stood on his left, facing the apprentices.

"Treeton, I present your new Master, Mor'ana Ru," a blue-skinned Twi'leck in full Jedi robes stepped forward as they bowed to each other.

"Ynghia, I present your new Master, Ealy Kor," Rey felt Ynghia's surprise and happiness increase to discover her new Master was a Vahla, like her.

"Mot Grys," the Sullustan boy regarded the two male Masters that remained, "I present your new Master, Djan Djo," the Sullustan and the human Master bowed to each other.

"Rey," Rey looked at the last Master that remained. He was slightly older, no doubt in his fourth decade of life. His long blonde hair was almost white and his violet coloured eyes stood out in contrast. He looked human enough, though Rey had never seen such a striking combination. She instantly thought that this is the kind of Master Mirrika would congratulate herself on for her apprenticeship.

"I present your new Master, Aeon Vyx," Rey and the Master bowed. He gave her a friendly smirk that only creased half of his face. Rey smiled in return. This had been the moment she'd worked so hard for. She took it all in, not wanting to forget a single second.

"Congratulations, young Padawans. May the Force be with you all and guide you on your respective journeys. Now," Mace Windu took his usual seat in the Jedi Council, "Please be seated, we have much to discuss."

Respectfully, the new apprentices and Masters sat in the spare chairs that were never occupied by council members. When Rey took her seat beside Master Aeon Vyx, she felt a familiar icy chill at her side. She realised she was sitting in the exact same chair Kylo Ren had occupied during her interview with the Jedi Council. Her earlier vision came rushing back to her much to her annoyance, and she shook her head, as if to shake the thoughts away and focused back into the present.

"All four teams will be deployed to the planet of Yavin Prime," Adi Gallia announced, bringing up a hologram in the centre of the room, "The leader of the senate, Tyren Bor is a favourite among the republic and yet, their villages have been terrorised by pirates from the Outer Rim territories, taking advantage of the fact that their leader has an upcoming re-election."

Rey regarded the holographic projection of the planet which then started to show pictures of the surface of Yavin Prime: it was a hot planet, with red dust. Not unlike Jakku.

"This re-election is an important one as Supreme leader Tyren Bor means to unite all twenty-six moons of Yavin under the one regime," Mace Windu continued.

"As you can imagine, there has been resistance to this change - a resistance that has been taken advantage of."

An images of fires, smoke, blaster fire, screaming figures and other displays of battle showed up on the hologram. Rey looked on, passive and thoughtful.

"Mot Grys and Djan Djo," Adi Gallia addressed, "you will assist with Tyren Bor's security. Ynghia and Ealy, you will be deployed to a specific drop zone where you will be escorting emergency supplies to the villages who have been infiltrated by the pirates. Treeton, Mor'ana, Rey and Aeon, you will join the ground team working to battle the pirates."

Treeton glanced down the line at Rey, his brow furrowed into a worried crease.

"Your job is the most important to bringing peace back to the planet," Mace Windu told them. "You must convince them to leave Yavin Prime. We have one Jedi team there already, working with Yavin's military who will be your contact."

"When you say 'convince them to leave," Treeton interrupted, "do you mean by negotiation or by force?"

Adi Gallia switched off the hologram and sighed.

"Negotiations have been tried and tested. Be prepared that the use of force will most likely achieve the desired outcome," Adi Gallia replied, somberly.

"There is one more thing," Mace Windu interjected, "we feel we should warn you, that we have lost several Jedi on this planet already. Our resources are low but we feel that the four of you will be well-suited to the tasks you have been assigned. Trust your Masters and follow your instincts. This will not be an easy mission."

Rey's eyes widened. _I finally become a Jedi's apprentice only to be send on a suicide mission,_ she thought.

_I must survive,_ Rey told herself, filling with resolve, _at all costs._

"Don't worry," a small voice said near her. Rey looked over to see Aeon Vyx whispering in her ear.

"If it makes you feel any better, I've been on several suicide missions that seemed hopeless and all of them turned out successful," he flashed his perfect set of white teeth.

Rey gave a small smile, partly reassured, and partly annoyed at herself for letting her guard down and her fear to take over. How embarrassing for her new Jedi Master to detect her anxiety mere minutes after them meeting!

"You will depart at midnight," Mace Windu said, standing.

"Take the time, apprentices, to say goodbye to your friends and collect your things. It is time to put all of your training to the ultimate test, for the good of the galaxy."

Everyone in the room stood and bowed.

"May the Force be with you," everyone murmured.

Needless to say, the mood in the room had changed completely to what it had been when they had first entered.

* * *

It had not taken long for Rey to pack her things. She also did not trouble herself with any goodbyes as there was nobody at the Temple that she would be loath to part from.

She had had dinner in the dining hall when most of the other Padawans had filtered out for the evening. Rey was glad of it, as she did not want to risk running into Sahnnel.

_Perhaps he is fortunate to have missed out,_ Rey thought, thinking on the danger she would no doubt be facing once she got to Yavin Prime.

As she was eating, Rey saw Mirrika and Jana walk over to empty their trays. Rey kept her gaze down, not wishing to cause a scene. Jana's earlier insults were still fresh in her mind.

To Rey's surprise, Mirrika set her tray down opposite Rey.

"Hey," Mirika smiled at her, brightly.

Rey furrowed her brow slightly. "Hey…?" Rey was confused.

"I heard your new Master is that gorgeous humanoid Aeon Vyx," Mirrika smiled.

Rey said nothing.

"Guess you got really lucky, hey cheater?" Jana sneered over Mirrika's shoulder.

"Stop calling her that, Jana," Mirrika scolded.

"What?!" Jana scoffed and walked off in a huff, slamming her tray into the dirty pile on her way out.

"Ignore her, she is quite protective of Sahnnel,"

Rey still said nothing. It was still confusing that Mirrika would be so kind to her at all.

"I guess you have lots to do, but hey, may the Force be with you and look after yourself and that gorgeous honey, Aeon for me would you?" Mirrika winked and got up again.

Rey sat there stunned. Of course the other students would start warming to her just as she was about to leave. Rey would have liked someone to talk to over all those breakfasts and lunches she had had by herself over the years in complete silence, completely alone amid the chatter of camaraderie from her classmates.

Yet if Rey was honest with herself, the constant chatter on who was good looking and who was not might have become a little tiresome after a while. Rey decided it was better to focus on would would be rather than what could have been.

* * *

The only farewell that felt important to Rey was for her to pay her respects to the room with a thousand fountains. This room had served as her refuge, her one pseudo companion that had helped her stay calm throughout the chaos of growing up friendless in the environment of a Jedi Temple.

Unwillingly, Rey felt a slight ache to be leaving - the first that she had had. Would she ever see this place again?

Rey forced herself not to focus on such bleak thoughts and enjoy her last moments in peace and tranquillity.

She languidly walked around the room, idly dipping her hands in the waters of the fountains, rubbing leaves from several plants between her fingers, trying to memorise their textures. As she walked through, she tried to record it all to memory. She thought on the mission ahead, on the images she had seen of the battles in the streets and general unrest she was destined to experience.

It was the complete opposite of this place. No doubt hot and dusty.

Rey came upon a large fountain and felt inspiration take hold. She slipped off her shoes and sat on fountain's edge, swinging her legs over. As she dipped her feet in, she sighed, contently, wiggling her toes. She glanced at her reflection in the water and studied her features.

_I am finally leaving,_ she thought to herself.

Suddenly her face started to morph on the water's surface - just as it had in her vision. Instead of her own face she saw… Master Kylo Ren!

Except he wasn't looking back at her as her reflection had, but straight ahead. Rey gasped and instinctively whipped her head around.

The young Master was standing there, looking straight ahead at her.

He did not speak at first, but looked at her, shrewd and calculating. It instantly made Rey feel uncomfortable rendering the tranquility of the room null void all of its former peace.

To break the awkward silence, Rey turned back to the fountain and lifted out her feet, not bothering to dry them before putting her shoes back on. She had half a mind to just walk out of the room before he could say anything.

_I barely got ten minutes in here,_ Rey thought dejectedly.

"You're mad," Master Kylo Ren announced.

Rey let out an exasperated breath. Why couldn't he just leave her alone?

"It's my last night in the Temple," she stated.

"And I have disturbed your last moments of solitude," Master Kylo Ren finished for her.

Rey looked up at him, infuriation in her eyes. How dare he read her emotions!

Master Kylo Ren smirked in acknowledgement.

"I come with a warning," the young Master said, unblinking.

"A warning?" Rey's response was dripping with sarcasm, still filled with annoyance at his presence. "I'm allowed to dip my feet in these fountains," Rey exclaimed boldly, defending her actions.

"No," Master Kylo Ren half shook his head, "Aeon Vyx,"

"What about him?" Rey kept the look of displeasure on her face.

Master Kylo Ren bore his black eyes into hers for a moment, grinding his teeth thoughtfully for a moment.

"Don't trust him. He will try to cause you harm,"

Rey's mouth dropped open in shocked anger.

_First he interrupts my last goodbyes, and now he attempts to slander my new Master. _

"I don't believe you," Rey said and moved to leave.

"Search the Force and you will feel it too, as I have," Master Kylo Ren said to her as she walked past him.

They turned to face each other.

"I would never take advice from you about how to search the Force," Rey spat back at him, before she could stop herself. _Well, I am leaving after all,_ she reminded herself, _why not speak my mind?_

The young Master narrowed his black eyes at her once more.

"Why is that?" he enquired.

Rey kept silent. "Go on, say it," Master Kylo Ren urged.

"You are a murderous snake!" Rey spat, letting fly all that she had felt at long last, "Through and through! No matter how many Padawan's you try to nurture, you can never outrun the darkness of your Sith past! You," she took a step closer to him, "are a monster!"

Rey took a moment to register how her words had effected Master Kylo Ren. His facial muscles contorted in rage. She had angered him, good. They were on even footing now.

He took a step closer to her and leaned in so his face was inches from hers.

"Yes, I am," he hissed through bared teeth. Rey huffed out her displeasure and turned and left the room.

_Screw him and his condescending warning,_ Rey shook her head as she went to collect her things from her room and head up to the docking bay.

_I always knew he was a monster and now he has confirmed it._

As she stomped through the Temple, Rey played the scene that had just transpired over and over in her head and discovered that she was once again back to being completely ecstatic to be leaving the Jedi Temple and all its monsters behind.


	5. Chapter V

_**Disclaimer: Any references to the Star Wars franchise belong to Disney and Lucasfilms. The story is entirely my own. **_

* * *

**Chapter V**

The CIS frigate rattled as it made the jump to hyperspace. Rey was strapped in to her seat between Ynghia and Treeton, looking dead ahead. Mot Grys was on the other side of Ynghia. All the Jedi Masters were seated opposite their apprentices in a similar fashion. Rey's heart fluttered with disquiet. This was it: she was out of the temple and on her first mission! Had she not awaited this day for ages?

_I thought it would feel different,_ Rey thought to herself. _I thought **I** would feel different. More joyful, maybe..._ Instead, Rey had a heavy heart filled with unexplained dread over the mission ahead. It seemed dangerous. If Rey let herself keep thinking through that vein of thought - which she didn't - she would start to get very dark thoughts indeed about how unfair life could be for a girl who finally gets to experience the galaxy only to...

Rey shook the thought away before she could finish it, and instead took a moment to regard her new Master, Aeon Vyx. His eyes were closed and Rey wondered if he was meditating or if he was actually asleep. All at once, her annoyance toward Master Kylo Ren's warning popped into her mind. Rey scowled. She longed to speak to her new Master and get to know him better, as at that moment, he still remained a stranger to her. She wanted - no, _needed_ \- to prove to herself that he was an incredible Jedi Master and that Kylo _blasted_ Ren had it all wrong.

Rey's gaze passed over the other Jedi Masters beside Aeon Vyx. All of them had already been to Yavin Prime. What had happened and why were they sent back? How did they feel to be returning, after having escaped the jaws of death where others had not, only to be thrown back in again?

Rey found herself being instantly inspired by the four masters in front of her: they were dedicated to performing their duty, despite the danger. Rey aimed to embody their determination through her own actions.

Despite only having recently been promoted to Apprentices, the importance of the mission had not been lost on any of the young Jedi. Rey could feel in her new companions that their determination to do well and to do right was as strong as her own.

The rattling in the frigate's cabin began to cease and the lights grew brighter.

"We are now orbiting Yavin Prime," came the voice of one of the pilots throughout the ship.  
"You are free to move about. ETA will be approximately three hours,"

Everyone unceremoniously unstrapped themselves and stood to stretch.

Rey made her way over to the nearest window and looked out at Yavin's twenty-three moons. Each had its own colony, and each orbited that angry red gas giant that was their destination: Yavin Prime.

The sight of it was beautiful as well as menacing. Rey took a moment to recall all that she knew about the planet from her lessons with Master Depa Billaba: the atmosphere on the planet's surface was harmful to most species, which was why most of its inhabitants lived underground. The thought of venturing underground made Rey a little nervous. She preferred being able to see the sky and move about without fear of an accidental cave-in.

Was the leader, Tyren Bor, underground? Had he lived there all his life? Did he like it there?

"My my, so many questions," Aeon Vyx came to stand beside Rey, looking on to Yavin Prime with his hands clasped behind his back.

"I didn't realise I was speaking out loud," Rey said, sheepishly, after the initial shock had left her face.

"You weren't, but you're putting up very little guard right now. You should practice hiding away your thoughts and intentions within other thoughts and intentions. It's like a game, or a boxed puzzle."

Aeon Vyx turned to look at her, smiling.

"I look forward to learning all that you have to teach," Rey stated, and meant it.

"And I have much to teach," Aeon Vyx smiled, showing all his teeth. "So, Rey," he said her name slowly, testing it out, "we have a few hours before we land. Why don't you offload some of those questions?"

"Now?"

"Absolutely, fire away."

Rey looked back towards the view of Yavin Prime.

"Does everyone on Yavin Prime live underground?"

"That is a popular misconception. The locals have managed to find a way to purify the air on almost all of its surface. It's where most of the fighting has been happening,"

"I see," Rey couldn't imagine living on a planet where she had to be concerned about not being able breathe the air without technology to purify it.

"Of course, there is a maze of underground tunnels which were easier to insulate back in the day, as well as control the air quality. They're still in high use, but mainly as living quarters,"

Rey nodded as she took everything in.

"And the leader, Tyren Bor. Have you met him?"

Aeon sighed and rolled his eyes.

"He hasn't come out of his hidy hole, yet. We've been debating the possibility that he's even fled Yavin Prime, once the fighting got really bad."

"That makes sense,"

Aeon Vyx snorted. "Yes, it does. A politician will always choose to save his own skin at times of conflict rather than to stand with his people."

"Seems for the best. He probably doesn't want to stir any unnecessary frenzies with the enemy," Rey thought out loud. "Plus I doubt many politicians learn how to fight,"

Aeon chuckled, then sighed.

"You haven't met many politicians, have you Rey," he was smiling at her. Rey smiled back and shook her head, no.

"Try and keep it that way for as long as you can," Aeon Vyx touched the tip of his nose and winked.

"Consider that lesson one."

Rey couldn't help but smile at her Master. She also couldn't help but genuinely like him. All thoughts of any truth or validity to Kylo Ren's warning had now dissolved and Rey felt a weight lift off her chest, despite her imminent drop into a war zone.

* * *

In his chambers, Kylo Ren studied the data pad in front of him. It was the manifestation sent from one of the recently deceased Jedi Masters who had been on the mission down on Yavin Prime.

Kylo Ren pressed play on a data vid embedded into the manifestation. He watched the vid in its entirety. Furrowing his brow, he squinted and watched it again. On the third watch he felt it, a murmur in the Force.

Focussing his energy and all his concentration, he pressed play again and the Force filled in the pieces for him…

* * *

"_Are you kidding?! We have to go back for them!" Jedi Master Mooloro Furon shouted, all three of her eyes widened and her face contorted in fear. All around them, the walls were crumbling. This part of the underground corridors had been compromised. They would have to move quickly to survive it._

"_It's too late to save them! We have to trust they will find a way out themselves!" Aeon Vyx shouted back._

_Suddenly, the ground rumbled and there was large tremor. Both Jedi Masters quickly grasped onto the walls to steady themselves._

"_I'm not leaving them behind for their bones to be picked apart by pirates!" Mooloro took a tentative glance over her shoulder toward a set of blast doors._

"_It might already be too late for that," Aeon's voice was low, yet the Force carried it up nice and clear to Kylo Ren as the observer._

"_What?! I can't hear you!" Mooloro yelled over the tremor. "We don't have much time! Go back to the ship if you want to! You can then tell the council what happened and ask them to send reinforcements!"_

_With that, Mooloro ran in the opposite direction with her lightsaber ignited. __Aeon Vyx turned around and looked up at the security camera to his top left, as if he were looking directly at Kylo Ren who had been watching this scene unfold from the perspective of the security camera. Aeon stared unblinkingly at it and it shut off._

_Through the static of the vid ending, the Force carried Kylo Ren's consciousness down from the broken security camera of that night to close in on Aeon Vyx's face. He was smirking up at the now broken camera..._

* * *

Kylo Ren came back to the present moment. The Force had been trying to show him this all along. He had felt it as soon as Mace Windu had told him who Rey's Master was going to be. All of Kylo Ren's former frustration swelled up in him all over again. Why would the Force show him that he needed to save and preserve that girl, only to have another Jedi Master interrupt the flow of balance?

_Am I being unfairly trialled for my former_ _mistakes?_ Kylo Ren thought, angrily.

The Force had helped him to see more of what happened than previously, as when he had first gotten his hands on the manifestation, it had stopped at Aeon Vyx destroying the security camera and the Force letting Kylo Ren know there was something amiss. That was all he had had to go on when he had blurted out his warning to Rey.

Kylo Ren ground his teeth together as he recalled what she had said to him that day.

_"No matter how many padawan's you try to nurture, you can never outrun the darkness of your Sith past! You...are a monster!"_

Rey, the other Jedi Masters, they all still saw him as a servant of the Sith.

Glancing back down at the manifestation, Kylo Ren read what Mooloro had written underneath. It was her final plea to the council: ..._All apprentices have been captured by pirates. The aim of the mission must change._

What had the Jedi Council been thinking by elevating new apprentices and shipping them off to replace those that had fallen? Could they really be that impulsive?

As soon as the thought entered his head, Kylo Ren breathed deeply and decided that, for now, he would trust the Council's judgement.

_I need more proof,_ Kylo Ren knew. He locked the data pad into a safe next to his bed and locked it with a Force lock. Nobody knew he had 'helped himself' to the data pad from the Council's data archives, yet that didn't phase him. His instincts had been correct.

He would continue to dig deeper.

* * *

The CIS frigate landed on the dusty outskirts of Yavin Prime. Rey noticed a large, tall pillar with a flashing blue spire on top. In the distance, she could see more flashing blue lights.

_These must regulate the air quality, _Rey deduced.

The whole party disembarked.

As soon as they were all standing on red dust, the frigate took off, almost straight away.

"Where's it going?" Mot Grys asked, his voice only slightly wavering with concern.

"Back to the temple," Aeon Vyx told the young apprentice. "We are quite on our own here,"

"This is where we split up," Master Djan Djo stated.

"May the Force guide us all," Ealy Kor looked at them all in turn, "especially you four," she gestured toward Treeton and Mor'ana, then Rey and Aeon.

"Your task if most perilous,"

"We all have our part to play," Aeon said in a manner that Rey translated as his way of gently dropping the subject. Rey agreed: it was easier to face intense difficulties if you didn't anticipate them with dread.

With that, the new Apprentices and their Masters split into three groups and walked in different directions away from each other.

Rey caught Ynghia's eye, and both girls smiled sympathetic smiles at each other.

_Good luck,_ Rey thought silently, wondering when they would all see each other again.

* * *

It was nighttime on Yavin Prime, yet despite this the air was thick with smoke.

Treeton fell into step beside Rey and coughed slightly.

"This is definitely nothing like the temple, hey," Treeton muttered after clearing his throat, taking care to keep his voice low so their Masters couldn't hear. Both Mor'ana and Aeon were walking up ahead, heads together, discussing directions and where best they could meet up with the ground team.

Rey looked up at the sky, inspecting the smoke.

"The fires must be really large to produce that much smoke," she pondered.

"Are you excited?" Treeton asked her, eyes wide.

"For what?" She asked confused. His change in mood and subject gave her mental whiplash.

"After all this time, after years of training, we finally get to use our lightsabers," Treeton grinned.

_Is he being serious?_ Rey thought.

He was serious.

Rey didn't agree with his attitude. In fact, she thought it was a bit of a juvenile way to look at their current situation. Rey knew that their team would be 'negotiating' these pirates to 'leave' by slicing them up with her lightsaber. She had thought about it deeply while she was sitting on the frigate. Yet, unlike Treeton, she didn't think on it as something desirable or exciting: it was her duty. It was what they were trained for.

"I'll try and not use mine unless I have to," Rey declared.

Treeton gave her a quizzical look.

"It's okay, you know. It's going to be us or them when it comes down to a fight, and I'm going to do everything I can to make sure it's _them_."

Ahead, their Masters beckoned them over, cutting their conversation short. Mor'ana kicked at the red sand near her feet, then held out her hand to move the rest of the sand with the Force, revealing a trap door.

"Quick, get in," she motioned as she lifted the door and held it open for Treeton and Rey to climb through.

Rey climbed down a ladder. They climbed for a full two minutes before reaching any footing. Rey jumped the last few rungs of the ladder and landed gracefully. She looked up at the way she had come: the tunnels were way more spacious than she had imagined.

_Thank the Force for that._

"This way," Aeon Vyx took the lead now. They walked through so many corridors that all looked alike. If Rey had any mind of leaving on her own she would have no idea which way to go.

They eventually reached thick blast doors that required key card access. Aeon Vyx waved his hand over the mechanism and the flashing red light turned green, granting them entry.

As the doors slid open, a hundred different sounds started filtering into the quiet of the corridor: sounds of moaning, different pitched voices shouting commands, the sounds of keys on data pads and hologram projections in every direction.

"These are the headquarters of the Yavin Prime resistance," Aeon Vyx announced with his arms outstretched.

"So you came back after all," Rey looked behind her Master and saw a woman dressed head to toe in a grey and orange uniform.

Aeon Vyx turned around and grinned. "You're looking more rebel leader than Jedi Master," he greeted the woman.

"Everyone, this is Varisala Vench'ha, a Jedi who stayed behind to offer tactical support to the Resistance."

Varisala bowed.

"Welcome, Jedi. And thank you for joining us on such short notice."

Aeon chuckled a little loudly and tried to hide his amusement with a cough.

"Something funny, Aeon?" Varisala raised an eyebrow at him.

"Your choice of words, is all."

Varisala looked confused. "Was it 'Welcome' or 'Thank You' that leaves you giggling like a welpling?" she spoke with a lot of sarcasm, no doubt not finding anything funny in such a serious situation.

"No," Aeon said, "'Short notice,'"

"Mor'ana, please translate before I leave my senses and find my lightsaber," Varisala looked at the Twi'leck for support.

"These are new apprentices," Mor'ana explained. "They were appointed only this morning,"

If Varisala was surprised, she hid it very well.

After blinking a few times, all she said was, "Allow me to show you to your quarters,"

They were all led through the chaos and out a back door. Along the way, Rey saw many wounded, moaning in agony. One man was missing an entire arm, another, a whole leg. Rey aimed to keep her face as expressionless as Varisala's had just been. She pushed her fear to the side and followed in silence.

The sleeping quarters were up a metal staircase off another corridor.

"Boys on your left, girls on your right," Varisala announced rather brusquly. "Help yourselves to any bed that's free. Dinner will served in twenty minutes. You'll find the dining hall downstairs and to your left."

Varisala started making her way down the stairs.

"Oh, and if you see Flavio anyway, tell him I'm looking for him!" She then strode off.

"Who's Flavio?" Treeton asked.

Mor'ana's eyes darkened as she said coldly, "Her apprentice,"

"Not a favourite of yours, I take it?" Treeton joked, also recognising Mor'ana's appearance.

Mor'ana looked over at Aeon for support.

"He's… You'll see what he is when you meet him,"

Rey and Treeton looked at each other with raised eyebrows.

"We'll reconvene in the dining hall," Aeon announced before disappearing into the lavatories.

Rey found herself a bottom bunk near the back of the female sleeping quarters. Mor'ana took the bottom bunk opposite hers.

"I'll see you at dinner," Mor'ana uttered as she dropped her stuff on to the bed and left in a hurry.

Rey sat on her bed and took a moment to collect herself. She searched her feelings: they were a mix of nervous excitement and trepidation. Also, intense dread, oppressing her like the thick smoke they had been breathing above ground.

Sighing, Rey lay back on her bed and closed her eyes, determined to take in a nap before dinner.


End file.
